Reclining chair



Feb. 26, 1957 E. G. KRAKAUER RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 8, 195s A nventor Edwm G. Krakauer jhu,

United States Patent-N 2,782,835 RncLlNnstG cHAn Application AApril 1953, Seriali No. 347,475 9 claims. (cl. 15s-10s) This invention relates to reclining chairs and particu,- I arly"`to the 'means for automatically moving a leg-rest into and 'out' ofthe voperative legfsupporting position thereof as the inclinations of the movable parts of the chair are changed. v

The'inve'ntifon contemplates the provision in connection with the balanced movable frame of a reclining chair, offa simple', 'dependable and inexpensive linkage functioning' also as 'ai hinge for theleg-restjof the chair, for moving the leg-rest-intr its leg-supporting position when the` movable frameis overbalanced rearwardly and moved into the reclining position thereof, and for returning the leg-rest to the inoperative position thereof when the chair is overbalancedforwardly in to the normal sitting position thereof; i

The invention further contemplates the provision of relatively inexpensive linkage interposed between the movf able frame for the chair seat and the leg-rest for limiting theforward movement of the'movable frame and 'seat into th'enormal sitting' position and forlimiting the rearward movement of the movable frame into thereclining position While eliminating `the hinges frpivots heretoforeusedA to connect the forward edge of, the seat or movable frame tothe leg-rest.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a combined linkage and hinge'for movingthelegA-r'esit into an operative 'substantially horizontal` position in( forward. spaced relation to the seat portionof the movable fratriey when the parts are moved into the reclining position and forholding the leg-rest substantially vertical Awhen the'v partsiare in the sitting position.`

The various objects of the invention will be` clear as the description progresses and from thedrawngs, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of typical frames for the chair sides and for the pivoted. combined seat and back, showing the linkage connecting lthe seat` tothe leg-rest and4 further showing in dash-dotilines, the

positions assumed bythe parts in the reclining position of thejchair, the customaryupholstery and upholstery springs being omittedfor clarity.

t Fig. 2 is 'a top plan View ofthe frames, linkage andA leg-rest in the sitting position of the chair.

` In the practical embodiment of the invention shown by way of example, the relatively fixed chair frame comprises the usual side frames connected by the suit# able cross braces Y11, and constitutes the support for the swingable combined seatframe and back frame 12. Suitable axially aligned bolts serving asl pivots 13, only one of which is shown, pass respectively through the side rails 1,4 ofthe seaty portion of the frame and piv-otally mount the movable frame 12 on the fixed frame 10. The position of the bolts isA selected so thatthe frame 12 is normally slightly overbalanced forwardly and is normally maintained in the sitting position, said frame remaining in said position when the chair is occuped by a sitter who does not press excessively on the back 16. In other words, when the chair is unoccupied, the center of gravity of the combined frame 12 is in front of the pivot 13. 'Howeven'y the er can easily., swing theframe 12. rearwardly, or, in e dloqkwise difende as viewed in Fig. 1., about the pivots 13. merely by deliberately leaning, back. enough; to put the reguisite pressure on the backV 16. This is because the center of, gravity of the frame 1,2, is approximately "at the pivot 1.3 when the that! iS. Occupied by a person 0f aver.- age size in a sitting position.

Thdmeans for limiting the amount of.- forward and backward movement of the frame 1,2 will be described in connection witli'th'e leg-rest-operating linkage. It should be. udettood at this Point. that. tbs osllpant ofthe chair may readily balance the combined seaty and back and fthe movable frame therefor atany rotated position between the sitting and yfullyreclined'positions merely: by leaning with more or less pressure against, or toward, the back vlv'ifth theA ripper bart fth? body, the lower. part 0f,- the Qtupnts body Xtrttt's al Gunter-balancinsefect against suoli pressure, sothat little efliolrt is4 required to move the frame 12frforn" or into any selected "position thereof or to h old the frame in such balanced position.

I As hasbe'en indicated, 'suitable linkage is provided to operate the legfr'est 18 when lthe frame 12pis swung about itsfpivo'tsl, linkage forms the,A sole support for the leg-rest, replacing 'thehingesforinefrly employed for that purpose. Said linkage 'comprises he actuating or'lifting linlifs"4 2,0,l and 21,` and" the hingihg linksl 22 and 23. The outer eridfllf of the1 lifting link V2t): has Va.l slidable connection Awitlffth'e outer part ofy theL leg-rest.' Included in the c oneetion ist the pin lor 'roller 2,5 Sliding in the slot 26 madefinone leg 2.7` oan longatedfangle member, the other leg of whichis suitablyI secured'td the inner orf rear face of the,l leg` -re st," They rV4 r vend of tlielirstv lifting link zo, isrpiyqted asfalt 29;@ the forward and er the second lifting linkJ 2]. the rear endof which'is'I in turn pivoted to the ixed iframe* Illas at the :fixed pivot 3 0 yon the; upright angle 'membef 31 -secured to the cross brace 11 of. said frame I0. To cause the lifting link 2()` tov be alternately lifted arid dropped' and rotate aboutt its piyot 29fwhen the sleatgfraine is swung, a point of said link intermediate the ends theref'is pivoted; to the seajtfportion 14'of 'the 4fri-ame rzpasatss.

Itfwill now be seen that as the seat is swung clockwise about its pivots v13,' the link pivot 33 is moved with the seat framefto the dash-dot position of Fig', 1, thereby in# creasing the angle between the liftinglinks 20 and 21 and raising the; leg-rest. At the same time, the roller or pin 25moves to the inner end of the slot 26. Such rela:- tive straightening movement'of the lifting links s not enough by itself to swing the legfrest from itsy normal vertical position to the desired horizontal positionthereof. It'isto effect such swinging orhinging movement that the hinging links 22 and 23 are' provided. The more for-l wardly arranged first hinging link 22l is pivotedV at its front end to the upper end portion ofY the slotted leg 2,7v as at 34'at a point in spaced' relation to the pin 25. andA to the slot`i26, andat its rear end. is pivotedjto the front end ofthe second hinging link 23 as att 3S, while an intermediate point of the linkV 22 is pivotedj to the' first lifting link `2G at the point 36 where said. links 20 and 22 cross each other. 'The rear end of the second hinging link 23 is pivoted to an intermediate point as 37 of the second lifting link 21, which point has relatively little movement. v'It will now be apparent that as the lifting link 20Y swings about its pivot 33, it will rotate the leg-rest 18,;

about-the pivot v34 andwill as well raise said leg-rest.

It will also be noted that said pivot 34 moves relatively,`

projected by fthe hinginglinks forwardly away fromV the; seat portion as muchr or as little as desired within rea' '4 sonablehlimits thereby to attain the. most convenient balancing effect and spacing between the leg-rest and the front edge of the seat.

In the fully reclined position of the frame 12, the pin or roller 25 is at the innermost end of the slot, 26 thereby determining the reclining position and preventing the combined seat and back from moving rearwardly past said position. In the normal or sitting position, the pin 25 is at the other or outermost end of the slot 26 and the weights of the forward parts of the movable frame and of the occupant are transmitted through the link 20 to said pin and therethrough to the remaining linkage and finally through themembers 31 and 11 to the fixed frame 10, without undue stress on any of the parts. In the reclining position, said weights are similarly transmitted to the fixed frame. t

In use, the frame 12 is normally in'the sitting position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and remains in that position with the pin 25 in the outermost part of the slot 26 while the occupant normally sits in the chair. When it is desired to recline, the occupant leans backwardly with more than the force used in normal sitting, whereby the frame 12 is rotated through the desired angle in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. l, and the leg-rest and the occupants legs which are in contact with the leg-rest are raised simultaneously into the dash-dot line position shown. The occupant can stop or adjust the balanced positions of the movable parts by leaning forwardlyvor backwardly as he finds necessary until the desired position is attained short of the reclining position, or leaning fully back to swing the parts into the fully reclined position. From said position, by releasing the pressure on the back 16, the weights of the forward parts of the chair and occupant swing the movable parts back to the sitting position.

It will be seen that a simple, inexpensive and effective linkage free of hinges between the leg-rest and the seat portion has been provided, permitting balancing of the seat and back in a selected position; that the linkage is adapted to move the leg-rest into position for maximum comfortable support of the legs of the occupant and incorporates limiting stops for the sitting and reclining positions, and that the structure is well designed for practical and commercial use.

While a certain specific embodiment of the invention has herein been shown and described, obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

i I claim:

1. In a reclining chair having a movable frame provided with a seat portion and with a back portion Vand having a fixed frame, a pivot arranged intermediate the front and the back portion of the movable frame and swingably mounting the movable frame on the fixed frame, a movable leg-rest at the front of the movableframe, and linkage means interposed between the legrest and the movable frame and constituting the sole means for swinging the leg-rest into an operative substantially horizontal position in forward spaced relation to and at the top part of the seat portion when said movable frame is tilted in one direction about said pivot, said linkage moving the leg-rest into an inoperative substantially vertical position largely below the movable frame after lthe movement of the movable frame in the opposite direction about said pivot to the relatively untilted position of the movable frame, a second pivot hinging the linkage to the fixed frame and a third pivot hinging the linkage to the movable frame, the linkage comprising a leg-rest-lifting `link having a slidable connection with the leg-rest and carrying the third pivot at a point intermediatelthe ends of said'link.

2. The reclining -chair of claim 1, the linkage comv prising a leg-rest-hinging link` crossing and pivotedto the lifting link -and .a pivotal connection between the hinging linkv and theleg-rest. Y 'Y 3. In a reclining vchair having a movable frame provided with a seat portion and with a back portion and having a fixed frame, ya pivot arranged intermediate the front and the back portionl of the movable frame and swingably mounting the movable frame on the fixed frame, a movable leg-rest at the front of the movable frame, and linkage means interposed between the legrest and the movable frame and constituting the sole means for swinging the leg-rest into an operative substantially horizontal position in forward spaced relation to and at the top part of the seat portion when said movable frame is tilted in one direction about said pivot, said linkage moving the leg-rest into an inoperative substantially vertical position largely below the movable frame after the movement of the movable frame in the opposite direction about said pivot to the relatively untilted position of the movable frame, a second pivot hinging the linkage to the fixed frame and a third pivot hinging the linkage to the movable frame, the linkage comprising a pair of lifting links, a pivotal connection between the lifting links, the second pivot being on one of the links, and a sliding connection between the other link and the leg-rest, the third pivot being on said other link.

4. The reclining chair of claim 3, the linkage further comprising a pair of hinging links pivoted together, one of the hinging links being pivoted to the leg-rest at a pointY in spaced relation to said sliding connection and the other hinging link being pivoted to said one of the lifting links.

5. Ina reclining chair, a movable frame having a scat and a back, a fixed frame, apivot mounting the movable frame swingably on the fixed frame at a point between the front and back parts of the movable frame, a normally vertical leg-rest, a first lifting link, a pivotal connection between the first link and said leg-rest, the pivot of said connection being movable relatively to the leg-rest, a second pivotal connection between the link and the movable frame, a second lifting link pivoted to the first link and to the fixed frame, and leg-rest hinging link means connecting the leg-rest to the links, the hinging means comprising a first hinging link pivoted to an edge part of the leg-rest and to the first lifting link, and a second hinging link pivoted to the second lifting link andto the first hinging link.

6. The reclining chair` of claim 5, the pivotal connection of the first lifting link to the leg-rest comprist ing a member having a slot therein and secured to the leg-rest and the pvot of said connection being a pin on said first lifting link sliding in the slot.

7. In a reclining chair, a movable frame having a seat and a back, a fixed frame, a pivot mountingthe movable frame swingably on the fixed frame at a point between the front and back parts of the movable frame, a normally Avertical leg-rest, a first lifting link, a pivotal connection between the first link and said leg-rest, the pivot of said connection being movable relatively to the leg-rest, a second pivotal connection between the link and the movable frame, a second lifting link pivoted to the first link and to the fixed frame, and leg-rest hinging link means connecting the leg-rest to the links, the pivotal connection of the first lifting link to the leg-rest comprising an anglemember having one leg thereof secured to the leg-rest and having a slot in the other leg thereof, and thepivot of said connection being a pin carried by the rst lifting link and sliding in the slot, one end of the slot limiting the swinging movement of the movable frame in one direction and the other end of the slot limiting the swinging movement of the movable frame in the opposite direction.

8. In a recliningchair having a movable frame provided with a chair seat and a chair back and having a fixed frame and a movable legrest,the movable frame being pivoted to the fixed frame, and means' for swinging the leg-rest on swinging movement of the movable frame and for limiting said swinging movement in both direci l l tions, said means comprising a pair of lifting links pivoted together, one of the links having a sliding connecn tion with the leg-rest and being pivoted to the movable frame and the other link being pivoted to the xed frame,

end, the hinging linkage comprising a rst hinging link pivoted to the leg-rest at a point in spaced relation to the slot and also pivoted to the rst lifting link, and a Second hinging link pivoted to the rst hinging link and and means for limiting the movement of the sliding con- 5 to the second lifting link.

neetion in both directions, and hinging linkage interposed between the leg-rest and the lifting links and connected thereto.

9. The reclining chair of claim 8, the limiting means comprising a member secured to the leg-rest and having a slot therein, and a member on the first lifting link sliding in the slot from one end thereof to the other Maurer June 16, 1953 Richardson Aug. 4, 1953 

